|
Patrick McGrath Muniz Thesis Show Uses Religious Icons to Explore Consumerism
|
|
10/4/2006 In his thesis exhibition, "Icon-sumer," Savannah College of Art and Design Master of Fine Arts in painting candidate Patrick McGrath Muñiz examines the intersection of religious imagery with consumer culture. He draws on his Roman Catholic background as well as his experience of growing up in Puerto Rico, where he attended high school and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Escuela de Artes Plásticas. The exhibition combines religious icons with corporate, consumer-driven images to delve into issues of colonialism, history and identity.
He explained that the pieces in his exhibition utilize "retablo" painting, a method of painting altars that dates to Colonial times, to question consumerist values. Adapting this tradition in his work enables him "to emulate previous indoctrination strategies and to implement them as a purveyor of capitalist propaganda," he said. In addition, he said, he seeks to provide commentary on Latin American history and sociopolitical issues. "In redefining personal identity by establishing a connection with history and culture, I aim to extinguish the intolerable historic amnesia that affects us all," he said. McGrath Muñiz has exhibited work in numerous venues in Puerto Rico, as well as in Savannah. He has received the Gelman Foundation and Josh Yu Chinese Painting scholarships, as well as a SCAD Fellowship. He is represented by West Gallery in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. The exhibition is on display Oct. 19–Nov. 4 in Hall Street Gallery, 212 W. Hall St. A reception is scheduled for Nov. 3, 5–7 p.m. Article by Monique Bos, Chronicle staff writer
View recent Past Exhibitions
SCAD hosts annual Georgia High School Drawing Competition - 1/5/2008
Gallery Hop features emerging Korean artists, photography - 11/9/2007 ‘Inside Outside’ highlights married artists’ different styles - 10/11/2007 |
